Toyota Prius Hybrid Overview

Any consumer looking to purchase a hybrid vehicle knows the name Toyota Prius Hybrid, and knows that it is the foremost and oldest hybrid vehicle on the market. When I say old, though, I don’t mean decrepit. On the contrary, this particular hybrid looks as sleek as the name sounds, a futuristic look that is sleek and new. This particular hybrid was the first released to the public in 1997, and has remained one of the more distinctive, well-known hybrids. An initial look at the Prius shows the car’s unique upright headlights, the interestingly functional and trendy bonnet and bumpers, showing just how unique the vehicle is. Even if you were to completely ignore the unique look of the vehicle, though, no matter how head-turning it may seem, the Toyota Prius is still one of the absolutely most intriguing hybrid vehicles available now. The very history of the Toyota Prius is quite interesting. In 1994, the concerns of environmentalists on fuel emissions and pollution led the Japanese Toyota Motor Corporation to develop a car that would be stylish, sophisticated, and also deal with these environmental concerns. The first and immediate plan from the manufacturing team at Toyota was that of a hybrid engine. Now, while it was a noble endeavour, the first hybrid engine had a slew of problems, and so an additional three years were given so that the design could be approved for construction and later produced for the market.It wouldn’t be until December of 1997 that the Prius Hybrid was ready for production, and the vehicle premiered to a market that was desperately seeking an eco-friendly car. In fact, the major issue of the Prius had previously been issues with the battery’s longevity, and now that it had been solved, the current Prius hybrid cars contain batteries that are able to last around seven to ten years. Unfortunately, though, the hope was that with hybrid cars, the batteries would be able to last much longer than they currently can, in order to make the vehicle as useful as possible.In Japan, the Toyota Prius took off as an immediate hit, and that prompted the company to decide that marketing the hybrid in offshore markets would be much more profitable, as countries, especially the U.S., were looking for eco-friendly vehicles. The problem was that while the US market wanted these eco-friendly vehicles that had boosted car sales in Japan, the general population was unaware of most of the benefits that the Prius could offer. As a result, the car was resigned in 2004 and this gained interest from the US market. Technically using a marketing perspective, the car was a financial success, as well as leading the way for other hybrid vehicles.In the creation of the Prius, Toyota created its very own treasure trove, an investment that would last the company. This hybrid was a breakthrough in automotive technology, and because it was so successful in the US, it set the bar that other hybrids have had to compete again, even amongst other Toyotas. Considering the name itself, Prius, which is Latin for “going before,” this car certainly is a true predecessor for all other hybrids, and each one of them should seek to improve off of this vehicle.